$4.3M fund to support Delaware River watershed conservation

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation are launching a $4.3 million fund to support conservation efforts in the Delaware River watershed.

The agency and foundation announced the creation of the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund on Tuesday.

It's meant to provide new support for the watershed, which provides drinking water for more than 15 million people.

Officials say the fund will support work across the 13,539-square-mile watershed: from the Delaware Bay's beaches and tidal salt marshes to farms, cities and towns in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey and rivers and streams of New York.

Congress provided funds to leverage public and private funding to support the watershed's environmental and economic health.

The request for grant proposals is open and applications are due Sept. 27.